Sometimes, I feel a little guilty asking authors to write a piece for “Distractions”. So many of them are busy writing. But, once I see what they wrote, and the books they suggested, I don’t feel bad. Krista Davis has a busy schedule, and a new book out, The Diva Spices It Up. But, she took time to suggest a book. You can find Davis’ books, and the books she suggests, in the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Krista Davis is the New York Times bestselling and four-time Agatha Award-nominated author of the Domestic Diva Mysteries, the Pen & Ink Mysteries, and the Paws & Claws Mysteries. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with two cats and a brood of dogs. Her friends and family complain about being guinea pigs for her recipes, but she notices they keep coming back for more. Please visit her at KristaDavis.com.

Thank you, Krista.

*****

Diving into a book to escape it all is such a perfect diversion. I have a book coming out and two to write, so I feel a little bit guilty for turning my attention away from the work at hand but I sneak a read now and then anyway.

Around the holidays I took a very big step. They call it “ditching the Dish” or “cutting the cord.” I finally joined the ranks of people who watch streaming shows on TV. I’m crazy for BritBox and Acorn. If you’re wondering why I’m talking about TV instead of books, it’s because I was introduced to some books I had overlooked. I love Agatha Raisin! One of my friends had told me she didn’t care for Agatha Raisin because she found her too acerbic, so I had avoided reading the books (this friend is usually very book-reliable and belongs to two book clubs). I’ll admit that Agatha can be sharp and somewhat narrow in her views, but M.C. Beaton does a lovely job of righting Agatha’s perceptions and behavior. I started with the first in the series, The Quiche of Death.

It differs slightly from the show but is a delightful mystery full of interesting characters. The stunning Cotswalds of England make a perfect location for cozy mysteries. I’m sorry to say that M.C. Beaton passed away a few months ago, but she wrote thirty-one books in this addictive series, surely enough to entertain even the fastest reader for a good while.

Occasionally I feel compelled to read something that is outside of the cozy mystery subgenre. I have always read the entire spectrum of mysteries, so I chose Then She Was Gone. For those interested in domestic noir, the plot is definitely compelling. I had to find out what had happened. An engaging book but dark.

Laura Childs’s latest book, Lavender Blue Murder, is a perfect cozy escape. Set in charming Charleston with an authentic Southern atmosphere, it moves at a good pace with twists, turns, and clever surprises. Never a dull moment! I found myself thinking I really should bake some scones and whip cream.

And finally, many of you have heard by now that our dear friend, author Sheila Connolly, passed away. I have started reading her last book, Fatal Roots. The protagonist is part American and I like the notion that I am with Sheila again, on an adventure with her as I read. For those who did not know Sheila, the book is set in Ireland and no one could reveal it to us better than Sheila, who wrote of it so lovingly.

*****

Thank you, Krista, for the “Distractions”, and your comments about Sheila Connolly.

The thirteenth book in Krista Davis’ Domestic Diva series, The Diva Spices It Up, has just been released. You can order this book, and Davis’ other ones, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/35lLvhk

She’s a young Martha Stewart…in Old Town Virginia!
New York Times bestselling author Krista Davis delights with the 13th in her enormously popular and completely charming Domestic Diva Mystery series. When a celebrity ghostwriter dies on the job, it’s up to Sophie Winston, Old Town, Virginia’s favorite entertaining expert and sporadic sleuth, to whip up an impromptu investigation…

Sophie never considered ghostwriting as a side gig, until former actress and aspiring lifestyle guru, Tilly Stratford, trophy wife of Wesley Winthrope, needs someone to write her celebrity cookbook. Sophie agrees, hoping she’ll earn enough bread on this assignment to finish her bathroom renovations. But as it turns out, Sophie isn’t the first foodie to get a taste for recipe ghostwriting, and if the marginalia are any indication, this project could be a killer…

Wesley claims professional ghostwriter, Abby Bergeron, suddenly abandoned Tilly’s cookbook with no warning. But Sophie quickly discovers that Abby may be more ghost than writer now…and her disappearance was no accident. So Sophie cracks open a fresh investigation but sifting the seasoned murderer from this sampling of salty suspects won’t be easy. Will Sophie savor another case closed or will the culprit simply melt away?

This year’s Edgar Awards were a little different, thanks to Covid-19. The winners were announced on Twitter. Congratulations to all of the winners! (Check the Web Store for all of the books, https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Best Novel

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim (Farrar Straus and Giroux)

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

The Hotel Neversink by Adam O’Fallon Price (Tin House Books)

BEST FACT CRIME

The Less People Know About Us: A Mystery of Betrayal, Family Secrets, and Stolen Identity by Axton Betz-Hamilton (Hachette Book Group ““ Grand Central Publishing)

BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL

Hitchcock and the Censors by John Billheimer (University Press of Kentucky)

BEST SHORT STORY

“One of These Nights,” from Cutting Edge: New Stories of Mystery and Crime by Women Writers by Livia Llewellyn (Akashic Books)

BEST JUVENILE

Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse by Susan Vaught (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books ““ Paula Wiseman Books)

BEST YOUNG ADULT

Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer (Tom Doherty Associates ““ Tor Teen)

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY

“Season 5, Episode 4″ ““ Line of Duty, Teleplay by Jed Mercurio (Acorn TV)

ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD

“There’s a Riot Goin’ On,” from Milwaukee Noir by Derrick Harriell (Akashic Books)

THE SIMON & SCHUSTER MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD

The Night Visitors by Carol Goodman (HarperCollins ““ William Morrow)

THE G.P. PUTNAM’S SONS SUE GRAFTON MEMORIAL AWARD

Borrowed Time by Tracy Clark ( Kensington Publishing)

The 2020 Raven Award went to Left Coast Crime

The 2020 Ellery Queen Award went to Kelley Ragland, Minotaur Books

And, finally, In Memorium

Due to Covid-19, The Edgar Awards will be announced online today on Twitter at 11 AM ET. You can follow along at #Edgars2020. However, don’t worry. I’ll post the winners later today after they are all announced. You can then check the Web Store for the winners and the nominees. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

As a reminder, here was the post when the nominees for the 2020 Edgar Awards were announced.

Congratulations to all of the nominees for the 2020 Edgar Awards. You’ll want to check for the nominees in The Poisoned Pen’s Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/ Here’s the announcement from Mystery Writers of America.

MWA Announces the 2020 Edgar Nominations

BY MWA · JANUARY 22, 2020

January 22, 2020, New York, NY ““ Mystery Writers of America is proud to announce, as we celebrate the 211th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe, the Nominees for the 2020 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2019. The Edgar® Awards will be presented to the winners at our 74th Gala Banquet, April 30, 2020 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City.

BEST NOVEL

Fake Like Me by Barbara Bourland (Hachette Book Group ““ Grand Central Publishing)
The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
The River by Peter Heller (Penguin Random House ““ Alfred A. Knopf)
Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukherjee (Pegasus Books)
Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham (Simon & Schuster ““ Scribner)

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing (Penguin Random House ““ Berkley)
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim (Farrar Straus and Giroux)
The Good Detective by John McMahon (Penguin Random House ““ G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott (Penguin Random House ““ Alfred A. Knopf)
Three-Fifths by John Vercher (Polis Books ““ Agora Books)
American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson (Penguin Random House ““ Random House)

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

Dread of Winter by Susan Alice Bickford (Kensington Publishing)
Freedom Road by William Lashner (Amazon Publishing ““ Thomas & Mercer)
Blood Relations by Jonathan Moore (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ““ Mariner Books)
February’s Son by Alan Parks (Europa Editions ““ World Noir)
The Hotel Neversink by Adam O’Fallon Price (Tin House Books)
The Bird Boys by Lisa Sandlin (Cinco Puntos Press)

BEST FACT CRIME

The Ghosts of Eden Park: The Bootleg King, the Women Who Pursued Him, and the Murder that Shocked Jazz-Age America by Karen Abbott (Penguin Random House ““ Crown)
The Less People Know About Us: A Mystery of Betrayal, Family Secrets, and Stolen Identity by Axton Betz-Hamilton (Hachette Book Group ““ Grand Central Publishing)
American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century by Maureen Callahan (Penguin Random House ““ Viking)
Norco ’80: The True Story of the Most Spectacular Bank Robbery in American History by Peter Houlahan (Counterpoint Press)
Indecent Advances: A Hidden History of True Crime and Prejudice Before Stonewall by James Polchin (Counterpoint Press)

BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL

Hitchcock and the Censors by John Billheimer (University Press of Kentucky)
Beyond the Thirty-Nine Steps: A Life of John Buchan by Ursula Buchan (Bloomsbury Publishing)
The Hooded Gunman: An Illustrated History of Collins Crime Club by John Curran (Collins Crime Club)
Medieval Crime Fiction: A Critical Overview by Anne McKendry (McFarland)
The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and her Oxford Circle  Remade the World for Women by Mo Moulton (Hachette Book Group ““ Basic Books)

BEST SHORT STORY

“Turistas,” from Paque Tu Lo Sepas by Hector Acosta (Down & Out Books)
“One of These Nights,” from Cutting Edge: New Stories of Mystery and Crime by Women Writers by Livia Llewellyn (Akashic Books)
“The Passenger,” from Sydney Noir by Kirsten Tranter (Akashic Books)
“Home at Last,” from Die Behind the Wheel: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Steely Dan by Sam Wiebe (Down & Out Books)
“Brother’s Keeper,” from Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine by Dave Zeltserman (Dell Magazine)

BEST JUVENILE

The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster by Cary Fagan (Penguin Random House Canada ““ Tundra Books
Eventown by Corey Ann Haydu (HarperCollins Children’s Books ““ Katherine Tegen Books)
The Whispers by Greg Howard (Penguin Young Readers ““ G.P. Putnam’s Sons BFYR)
All the Greys on Greene Street by Laura Tucker (Penguin Young Readers ““ Viking BFYR)
Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse by Susan Vaught (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books ““ Paula Wiseman Books)

BEST YOUNG ADULT

Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer (Tom Doherty Associates ““ Tor Teen)
Killing November by Adriana Mather (Random House Children’s Books ““ Alfred A. Knopf BFYR)
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay (Penguin Young Readers ““ Kokila)
The Deceivers by Kristen Simmons (Tom Doherty Associates ““ Tor Teen)
Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas (Bloomsbury Publishing)

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY

“Season 5, Episode 3″ ““ Line of Duty, Teleplay by Jed Mercurio (Acorn TV)
“Season 5, Episode 4″ ““ Line of Duty, Teleplay by Jed Mercurio (Acorn TV)
“Episode 1″ ““ Dublin Murders, Teleplay by Sarah Phelps (STARZ)
“Episode 1″ ““ Manhunt, Teleplay by Ed Whitmore (Acorn TV)
“Episode 1″ ““ The Wisting, Teleplay by Katherine Valen Zeiner & Trygve Allister Diesen (Sundance Now)

ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD

“There’s a Riot Goin’ On,” from Milwaukee Noir by Derrick Harriell (Akashic Books)

* * * * * *

THE SIMON & SCHUSTER MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD

The Night Visitors by Carol Goodman (HarperCollins ““ William Morrow)
One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski (Harlequin ““ Graydon House)
Strangers at the Gate by Catriona McPherson (Minotaur Books)
Where the Missing Go by Emma Rowley (Kensington Publishing)
The Murder List by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Tom Doherty Associates ““ Forge Books)

* * * * * *

THE G.P. PUTNAM’S SONS SUE GRAFTON MEMORIAL AWARD

Shamed by Linda Castillo (Minotaur Books)
Borrowed Time by Tracy Clark ( Kensington Publishing)
The Missing Ones by Edwin Hill (Kensington Publishing)
The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey (Soho Crime)
The Alchemist’s Illusion by Gigi Pandian (Midnight Ink)
Girl Gone Missing by Marcie R. Rendon (Cincos Puntos Press)

The Edgar Awards, or “Edgars,” as they are commonly known, are named after MWA’s patron saint Edgar Allan Poe and are presented to authors of distinguished work in various categories. MWA is the premier organization for mystery writers, professionals allied to the crime-writing field, aspiring crime writers, and those who are devoted to the genre. The organization encompasses some 3,000 members including authors of fiction and non-fiction books, screen and television writers, as well as publishers, editors, and literary agents.

Mystery Writers of America would like to emphasize our commitment to diversity and fairness in the judging of the Edgar Awards. Judges are selected from every region of the country, from every sub-category of our genre, and from every demographic to ensure fairness and impartiality.

# # #

The EDGAR (and logo) are Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by the Mystery Writers of America, Inc.

You might recognize Ellen Byron as the Agatha and Lefty Award-winning author of the Cajun Country Mysteries. You might not know she’s launched a second series, the Catering Hall Mysteries, as Maria DiRico. More on that later, but you can find her books in the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Ellen’s Cajun Country Mysteries have won the Agatha award for Best Contemporary Novel and multiple Lefty awards for Best Humorous Mystery. Her new Catering Hall Mystery series, written as Maria DiRico, launched with Here Comes the Body and was inspired by her real life. She’s an award-winning playwright and non-award-winning TV writer of comedies like WINGS, JUST SHOOT ME, and FAIRLY ODD PARENTS. But she considers her most impressive credit working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. https://www.ellenbyron.com/

Check for Ellen Byron’s book “Distractions” in the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

I come from a family of readers. For years, we had a cottage on Connecticut’s Bantam Lake, a bucolic setting if there ever was one. What did we do during our weekend getaways to our lakeside home? Sit inside and read. It’s always been my number one pastime.

With #SafeAtHome the motto of the moment in Los Angeles, I find I actually have a little less time to read than usual. My husband is working from home, so we’re sharing an office. Our daughter’s college, New Orleans’ Loyola University, closed the campus and switched to online education, so she’s home too. You know who else is around a lot more than usual? The local wildlife. Emboldened by a lack of cars and people, coyotes, hawks, and owls are making their presence known in our hillside neighborhood. This means that rather than let Pogo, our little chihuahua mix, wander out the doggy door whenever he feels like it, I’m constantly walking him, which also eats into reading time.

Given these current life distractions, I’m plowing through my TBR pile a bit slower than usual. Still, a day without reading doesn’t exist for me. Here are two current – and one future ““ favorites:

COPPER, IRON, AND CLAY: A SMITH’S JOURNEY

This homage to classic American cookware – written by a real life coppersmith – is both gorgeous to look at and fascinating to read. Plus, it’s got recipes. Talk about a hat trick! Edith Maxwell (aka/Maddie Day) and I e-met author Sara Dahmen during one of publicist Dana Kaye’s great webinars. Sara’s book launched April 28 and she lost all of her promotional opportunities, including a spot on The Today Show. Edith and I felt terrible for her and agreed that the topic of the book was a perfect fit for culinary cozies. We enlisted fellow author Leslie Karst, who happens to be a trained chef, and the three of us threw Sara a Facebook party. She even made copper straws as a giveaway. How cool is that?

MY FAIR LATTE

Vickie Fee is a blogmate of mine at Chicksonthecase.com, so I’m predisposed to love anything she writes. But her latest book really hit a cozy home run for me. It’s got everything you’d want in a light read. Charming setting? Check. Likeable, engaging characters? Check. Twists I didn’t see coming? Check. To be honest, I hate coffee in all forms. (Yes, even coffee ice cream. Blecch.) The entire barista culture is lost on me, yet I was totally rooting for heroine Halley Greer’s ambitious plan to re-open an old theatre as a coffee and wine bar showing classic films. That’s how much I enjoyed My Fair Latte.

DEATH OF AN AMERICAN BEAUTY.  

Full disclosure: I haven’t read this book yet, but I wanted to include it because I love Mariah Fredericks’ Jane Prescott series so much. Like Sara, Mariah had the poor luck of launching in the dead center of this pandemic. I’m a big fan of historical mysteries in general. I could list a dozen authors right now and still feel bad for leaving a few names out. That being said, a series with a nuanced protagonist that’s set in the Gilded Age of my New York City hometown will always go straight to the top of my TBR pile, especially if the writing is as thoughtful and evocative as Mariah’s is.

Reading is such a vital part of my life. Of all our lives. During this awful national crisis, I’d like to give whoever classified books and bookstores as “non-essential” a piece of my mind.

*****

Now, I have a full disclosure. I’ve read Mariah Fredericks’ Death of an American Beauty, and can recommend it as a well-researched, fascinating historical mystery of Gilded Age New York with all of its class, social and racial issues. I’ve also read “Maria DiRico’s” fun cozy mystery, Here Comes the Body with a street-smart amateur sleuth, loyal to her own family, tender-hearted over pets, kind to grandmothers, respectful to her elders. Check out all the mentioned books in the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

After her philandering husband’s boat went down, newly single Mia Carina went back to Astoria, the bustling Queens neighborhood of her youth. Living with her nonna and her oversized cat, Doorstop, she’s got a whole new life—including some amateur sleuthing . . .

Mia is starting work at Belle View, her father’s catering hall, a popular spot for weddings, office parties, and more—despite the planes that occasionally roar overhead on their way to LaGuardia and rattle the crystal chandelier. Soon she’s planning a bachelor party for a less-than-gentlemanly groom. But it goes awry when the gigantic cake is wheeled in and a deadly surprise is revealed . . .
 
Since some of her family’s associates are on the shady side, the NYPD wastes no time in casting suspicion on Mia’s father. Now, Mia’s going to have to use all her street smarts to keep him out of Rikers Island . . .
 
Italian recipes included!

“Mamma mia! What a nifty story. This endearing new heroine has a lot on her plate—all of it delicious fun!”
—Laura Levine, author of Death of a Gigolo

“A catered feast of a mystery.”
—Sherry Harris, author of Let’s Fake a Deal/

*****

And, watch for, or pre-order Ellen Byron’s September release in the Cajun Country series, Murder in the Bayou Boneyard.

Maggie Crozat has the Halloween heebie-jeebies in USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author Ellen Byron’s howlingly funny sixth Cajun Country mystery.

Maggie Crozat, proprietor of a historic Cajun Country B&B, prefers to let the good times roll. But hard times rock her hostelry when a new cell phone app makes it easy for locals to rent their spare rooms to tourists. With October–and Halloween–approaching, she conjures up a witch-crafty marketing scheme to draw visitors to Pelican, Louisiana.

Five local plantation B&Bs host “Pelican’s Spooky Past” packages, featuring regional crafts, unique menus, and a pet costume parade. Topping it off, the derelict Dupois cemetery is the suitably sepulchral setting for the spine-chilling play Resurrection of a Spirit. But all the witchcraft has inevitably conjured something: her B&B guests are being terrified out of town by sightings of the legendary rougarou, a cross between a werewolf and vampire.

When, in the Dupois cemetery, someone costumed as a rougarou stumbles onstage during the play–and promptly gives up the ghost, the rougarou mask having been poisoned with strychnine, Maggie is on the case. But as more murders stack up, Maggie fears that Pelican’s spooky past has nothing on its bloodcurdling present.

If you love horror fiction, you’re going to want to learn about the Haunted Library Horror Classics. Leslie S. Klinger, the anthologist, has edited the first six books from the Horror Writers’ Association. The first two are out already, The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux and The Beetle by Richard Marsh. The books are available through the Web Store. If you search for Leslie Klinger in the Web Store, you can find these books, and other ones edited by the Edgar Award winner. https://bit.ly/35bbtDZ

Klinger discusses the Haunted Library Horror Classics, affordable paperbacks published by Sourcebooks/Poisoned Pen Press. He chats about his vast knowledge and research in the video with Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen. The two experts share fascinating stories of copyright and court cases and books.

It’s fascinating to learn what authors did before they turned to writing as a career. When I asked mystery writer Cheryl Hollon to write a “Distractions” piece, I also learned her background.

Cheryl Hollon now writes full-time after she left an engineering career designing and building military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and India. Fulfilling the dream of a lifetime, she combines her love of writing with a passion for oil painting and creating glass art. Cheryl and her husband live in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.

Look for Hollon’s books, including her June release, Still Knife Painting, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3cSGRK3. Don’t forget to look in the Web Store for Cheryl Hollon’s book “Distractions”. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

*****

In these interesting times, I’m reading across a wider range of authors than normal. I usually stick to nonfiction while I’m writing the first draft of a book, then switch to mysteries while I’m revising.

In times of stress, I fall back on some old favorites. I had read my two top picks last summer, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin followed by To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. So at the start of my confinement, I pulled out another favorite comfort read.

Gaudy Night, Dorothy L. Sayers

I’m always reading, so for nonfiction, I dive into books about writing and this year, I snagged a personally autographed copy of Murder Your Darlings by Roy Peters Clark. Helpfully, it’s a book of reviews on writing books. But I’m over the moon enjoying a funny novelistic narrative about the battle to save the Florida panther.

Cat Tale, Craig Pittman

I have a quotation by Maya Angelo taped to my inspiration whiteboard: “Every Storm Runs Out of Rain.” That comforts me and the fact that I have almost a dozen books pre-ordered. The next Inspector Gamache, All the Devils are Here, by Louise Penny is coming on September 1^st and a new domestic suspense, Confessions on the 7:45, by local author Lisa Unger on October 6th. The one I’m looking forward to the most is the new Vera Stanhope to be released on September 8th. Don’t even think of contacting me on that day. I’ll be in my blanket fort with this book and maybe even a flashlight. Definitely a fine glass of wine.

The Darkest Evening, Ann Cleeves

A debut author is my next book to read. This is based on the life of Nancy Wake, arguably the greatest female spy of all time and inarguably of WW II. I’m definitely in the mood for a tense spy thriller. Imogen Kealey is the pseudonym of American screenwriter Darby Kealey and British novelist Imogen Robertson. That alone has my interest.

Liberation, Imogen Kealey

In between writing, revising, blogging and virtual meetings, I’m working complicated puzzles. This one nearly drove me insane as the print below each famous author was tiny, tiny, tiny. It was good to reminisce the plots and characters from all the books I’ve read.

And now, a bit about my new series:

Artist Miranda Trent inherits her uncle’s farm located in eastern Kentucky ““ right smack dab in the Daniel Boone National Forest. She starts a cultural adventure business which combines an outdoor painting class followed by a southern cooking lesson and paired with a moonshine tasting. She calls it Paint-n-Shine.The first book in the series, Still Knife Painting, releases on June 30, 2020.

Isn’t this a gorgeous cover!

*****

As mentioned earlier, Cheryl Hollon’s Still Knife Painting can be pre-ordered through the Web Store. Check out her other books there as well. https://bit.ly/3cSGRK3

The other day, Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, caught up with C.J. Box for Virtual Independent Bookstore Day. They had the chance to talk about Box’s latest writing project, as well as the TV series to be made from his Cassie Dewell books. Of course, they also chatted about books, older ones and forthcoming titles. Look for Box’s books, as well as the titles suggested, in the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Now, enjoy the book chat.

Author Sheila Connolly died on April 20 in her beloved Ireland, where she bought a cottage and moved last year. Cozy mystery readers may recognize many of her mystery series. She wrote the Orchard mysteries, the Museum mysteries. the County Cork ones, the Relatively Dead series, and, under the name of Sarah Atwell, a glassblowing mystery series. In the last few years, she wrote the Victorian Mystery series in which she could use some of that knowledge she had of Victorian houses. Many of those mysteries are available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3cMZi2L

I can think of no finer tribute than to share a piece Sheila wrote. In 2014, when her second County Cork mystery, Scandal in Skibbereen came out, she wrote a guest post about her love of Ireland.

*****

I fell in love with Ireland the second day I was there.

Not the first day. When my husband and I took our daughter to England and Wales, we tacked on Ireland.  After all, my father’s parents both came from there, and it was so close, how could we not?

We stepped off a plane and headed for the place my grandmother was born—and of course we got lost.  Like most Americans we didn’t realize that driving in Ireland consisted mainly of following winding two-lane roads (on the wrong side) and avoiding the occasional sheep in the road.  Signs are few and far between, and if you ask for instructions you’re usually told something like “turn left at the sixth lane, and if you go past the creamery you’ve gone too far.” While we did finally find the tiny townland we were looking for, it was not a promising start.

Then we set off again for the village of Leap, a tiny place in West Cork overlooking Glandore Harbor on the south coast, a few miles from where my father’s father was born.  By the time we arrived it was getting dark, and it had started raining—hard.  We stopped at the hotel (the only one in town) and all eight of its rooms were booked by fishermen, but they sent us around the corner to a family who had a couple of rooms available. Then we went back to the hotel for dinner, which was everything we’d ever heard about Irish food: grey meat, mashed potatoes and carrots, all swimming in murky liquid. It kept raining.

Tired and damp and discouraged, after dinner we retreated to our room and went to bed. The next morning I was the first to wake up, and I slid out of bed and pulled back the curtains to find a view of sunshine and sparkling water with gliding swans, and cows grazing on the hill, and I almost cried.  That’s when I fell in love with Ireland.

And if that wasn’t enough, I discovered that the pub across the street was called Connolly’s. That’s the place that became Sullivan’s pub, the heart of Buried in a Bog.

But it took ten years to get that book published.  I hadn’t even started writing when first saw the pub,  but the village made a lasting impression on me, and I used the setting for the second book I ever wrote a couple of years later, with the pub at its center (the less said about that first book, the better).  That book never sold, but I refused to give up on it: I rewrote it and changed the major characters not once but twice, but never the setting.  Third time’s the charm, it seems: Buried in a Bog was published in 2013 and became a best seller.

Why do I write about Ireland? I write cozy mysteries, which is what I’ve always loved to read. Most cozies are set in small towns, but American cozy writers hadn’t really ventured abroad with their stories. But since most of Ireland (with the exception of the biggest cities) is one small town, where everybody knows everyone else, and their entire family history, I thought it was perfect for cozies. 

I once told someone that visiting Ireland was putting on an old shoe: it’s like slipping into something that just fits right, like it’s been yours forever and knows your foot. Ireland felt like home, even though I’d never seen it before. And I keep going back.

My main character, Maura Donovan, was born in Boston and raised by her widowed Irish-born grandmother.  She has no interest in Ireland, having seen her share of down-and-out immigrants in Boston. But her grandmother insists that Maura visit Ireland, as her last wish, so Maura goes reluctantly, and there she finds a home and relatives she never knew she had and friends—in short, more than she ever expected. In fact, there’s one point in Buried in a Bog when Maura is overwhelmed by events and is reduced to rare tears, and she demands, “why is everybody being so nice to me?” She’s angry and confused, and unable to handle simple kindness and others looking out for her, a near-stranger. But that’s the way it is in Ireland, particularly if you have any Irish in you.

By the second book, Scandal in Skibbereen, Maura has begun to settle in. The book opens with the arrival of pushy New Yorker Althea Melville, who’s searching for a lost painting, and she can’t understand why everybody isn’t jumping to help her, and she thinks she has to deceive them to get what she wants. It falls to Maura to explain that things don’t work like that in Ireland; people are more than willing to help you, but you have to ask, not demand. By the end of the book even Althea has come around to that point of view.

There’s only one problem with writing murder mysteries set in Ireland:  few murders take place there (except in Dublin). I met with a sergeant at the local police (garda) station, who told me that they’d had all of three murders in their district in the past decade, and in each of those cases they’d known who did it.  I apologized to him for inflating their crime rate, at least on paper.

What I enjoy most about writing this series is exploring the contrast between insider and outsider, the past and the present, the old and the new. You find all of these side by side in Ireland, and sometimes I have to shake myself and wonder, what decade am I in? The townland where my grandmother was born is still using the mail box installed during Queen Victoria’s reign, and the church holiday bazaar is still raffling off a truckload of firewood. Time seems slower there. The nights are darker and quieter.  It’s beautiful and peaceful, and, yes, there are plenty of rainbows.

I’m still in love with the place. I hope I can let readers see what I see there.

*****

Ah, Sheila. You always allowed your readers to see the Ireland you loved. May you rest in peace.

I discovered D. M. Quincy’s books with the first Atlas Catesby mystery, Murder in Mayfair. It was only after I read all three of the historical mysteries in the series that I learned she also writes historical romances as Diana Quincy. Her Night with the Duke will be released September 29. But, she doesn’t discuss mysteries or romances with her book “Distractions” today. You can find Quincy’s suggestions, and her own books, in the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

D. M. Quincy is an award-winning journalist who–after covering many unsolved murders–decided to conceive her own stories in which a brilliant amateur detective always gets the bad guy (or girl). As a US Foreign Service brat, D. M. was bitten by the travel bug practically at birth, and like her protagonist Atlas Catesby, tries to visit far-flung places as often as she can. When she isn’t hunched over her laptop researching ways for her villains to kill people, D. M. devours foreign television mystery series on Netflix and plots her next travel adventure. She lives in Virginia with her family.

Thank you, Diana, for your book “Distractions”.

*****

None of the books on my list were published recently because I rarely manage to read new releases in a timely fashion. But here are the new-to-me novels I’ve read and loved recently. You’ll notice, there are no mysteries on this list. Although I love mysteries, I tend to stay away from them while I’m writing because I don’t want any bits from the books I’m reading to influence what I put down on the page.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Probably my favorite book of my year (the book’s been out for a while.) Owens is a zoologist and her knowledge of the natural world imbues this story with authenticity. Emotional, beautifully-written and evocative, this story of a girl who grows alone up in the swamp only to be accused of murder, stayed with me for a long time.

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

I have been meaning to read Ann Patchett for quite a while and now I’m mad at myself for waiting so long. But, on the plus side, that delay means I can indulge in Patchett’s backlist. This story has an almost fable-like quality, complete with a wicked stepmother and disenfranchised children. But it’s really about family—not just your blood family, but also those you meet along the way who become emotionally indispensable to you throughout your life.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

The Alaskan wilderness, the backdrop of this novel, is a major character in this novel about survival, love and marital dysfunction. Hannah’s own personal knowledge of Alaska—she once lived there—adds a level of emotional purity to the storytelling.

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

Here’s another book that’s been on my Kindle for a while. Amid the romance and upheaval of revolution, Cleeton’s poignant novel beautifully captures the longing Cuban expatriates have for the country they fled after Fidel Castro came to power, many of them never expecting their exile to last a lifetime.

*****

Thank you, Diana. If you’re interested in ordering D. M. Quincy’s Atlas Catesby mysteries, you can find them here in the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2x1W9Nz

Murder at the Opera is the most recent release in the series.

When a nobleman’s mistress is gunned down on the steps of the Covent Garden opera house, brilliant adventurer Atlas Catesby discovers a sinister family connection that compels him to investigate.

London, 1815. Amateur sleuth Atlas Catesby is about to discover the dark side of the bright lights. His long-awaited night at the opera with Lady Lilliana ends abruptly when a notorious courtesan is shot to death in Covent Garden.

The infamous victim was the mistress of the powerful Marquess of Vessey. Atlas believes that the marquess–his former brother in law–is responsible for the long-ago death of Atlas’s sister, Phoebe. Atlas seizes the opportunity to potentially avenge his sister’s death. But his inquiry is complicated when Phoebe’s grown son implores Atlas to help prove Vessey’s innocence.

Plunging into the cutthroat backstage life of the theatre community, the adventurer and the noblewoman soon discover that ruthless professional rivalries can escalate into violence, setting the stage for death in Murder at the Opera, D. M. Quincy’s third riveting Atlas Catesby mystery set in Regency England.

*****

If you’re a fan of historical romances, you might want to check out Diana Quincy’s September release, Her Night with the Duke. The Poisoned Pen takes preorders through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3bshLS9

Desire knows no reason…

When Lady Delilah Chambers finds herself stranded at a country inn on a rain-swept evening, she’s forced to fend off a group of ruffians with the help of a handsome gentleman. Irresistibly drawn to each other, Leela and the stranger spend one reckless night in each others’ arms—and then go their separate ways. But the very next day Leela receives the shock of her life when she meets the duke who is set on wedding her beloved stepdaughter.

When it finds two destined hearts…

One night isn’t enough with a woman as fierce, fiery, and brilliant as Leela. Elliot Townsend, Duke of Huntington, cannot believe his good fortune when their chance encounter leads to an unforgettable evening of passion. Yet Hunt’s luck runs out when he is introduced to his prospective mother-in-law. Dowagers aren’t supposed to look like this… 

Leela and Hunt are determined to keep each other at arm’s length, which should be easy enough for two intelligent adults with reputations to uphold. The problem is all logic is lost when it comes to a passion that refuses to be ignored.